Could my senior cat's dropped hocks, thirst, and hunger be diabetes?

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is concerning as it may be an indication that his diabetes is not well-controlled at the moment. I would highly recommend that you check in with a veterinarian as soon as possible to check for this possibility. If this is the case, they can work in getting him to feel better and then possibly focusing in controlling his diabetes better. Best of luck!

Hello, It does sound like Cheeky has many clinical signs of diabetes, but they could also be signs of kidney disease. I'd recommend having Cheeky's blood and urine tested. Your vet can guide you best after a physical exam. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Hello there. It is very possible that Persephone Jane has diabetes. However there are many other reasons for increased thirst in a cat, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or urinary tract infection. I recommend taking her to the veterinarian where she can have bloodwork to determine if she is diabetic or not. Once the cause of her excess thirst is discovered, your veterinarian can develop a treatment plan to help your kitty. Hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. With your history and knowing he is drinking and urinating quite a bit, I would be concerned about kidney disease or diabetes. I would recommend having a comprehensive blood panel run on pepper to rule these conditions out. I would also have his urine tested as part of a full workup. Blood work is a good place to start as it will help rule out many possible causes of the symptoms you are seeing. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Pepper! 20 years old is amazing! It's hard to say why Peppers back legs are having so much trouble. It could be from weakness from progressive kidney disease or a new problem like high blood pressure, diabetes, anemia. She likely has arthritis at her age. Sometimes older pets can have strokes or even brain tumors as well that can cause behavioral and gait changes. It sounds like she is extremely thirsty (trying to get in to the tub). If Pepper hasn't had her blood work checked in a while I would call your vet monday and have her seen. If you think she is suffering take her to an Emergency hospital today for evaluation, they can run the blood work today in house. I hope this helps and I wish you and Pepper the best!

Increase in drinking and urination can be signs of diabetes. However, they can be signs of other conditions as well. Kidney and liver disease can also cause this. Some kitties will start drinking more, and their blood work remains unchanged. This is most likely due to the fact that it takes A LOT of kidney damage to change the blood work, so the body is trying to keep the kidneys going by increasing the thirst. My personal kitty increased his drinking at around that age, so I monitored his kidneys closely. So- I recommend taking Cassie in for an exam and senior blood work panel (this includes a urinalysis). This will help the veterinarian identify problems earlier and begin treatment. Thanks for reaching out to Boop by Petco.

Hello and thanks for using Boop by Petco! From your description of signs, I would strongly suspect that Flynn may have diabetes. This very commonly causes increased thirst and urination, sticky urine (from the sugar in the urine) and weight loss. Other common causes of weight loss and increased thirst and urination in cats are kidney disease and thyroid disease. I have seen many cats that have more than one of these diseases at the same time. I would strongly recommend taking Flynn to a veterinarian for blood work and urinalysis. This will be the first step in diagnosing his actual condition so that you know how to treat him. I hope this helps and that Flynn gets feeling better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If maximus has not had a full blood panel run in a while, I would first get this checked. Also, if his glucose or fructosamine levels are not controlled, this can lead to abnormal walking or neuropathies. Weight loss is to be expected with diabetes to a certain degree but he may have other systemic problems going on at the same time. I would also check his urine for a UTI as diabetics tend to be prone to these. Your vet can perform these additional diagnostics to determine what the problem is, if there are any besides the diabetes. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Drinking and urinating excessively can be a sign of kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, infections, etc. She should be examined by a vet for a work up to determine the cause. Your vet can run blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat depending on the cause.

Poor Hamm! It's common for diabetic cats to develop a condition called diabetic neuropathy, which is characterized by weakness and lack of coordination in the rear legs. Affected cats will also sometimes stand or walk with their entire hock (the lower part of the leg) flat on the ground, which is called a plantigrade stance. I would recommend calling your vet or taking Hamm in for a check-up to discuss this issue and confirm that it is due to diabetic neuropathy and not some other problem. If so, many cats with this problem improve once their high blood sugar is under control - so Hamm may need some testing to check his glucose levels and see if his insulin dose needs to be adjusted. Weekly vitamin B12 injections have also been shown to help with this condition in some cats, so this is something that you could discuss with your veterinarian as well.